Maria Escobar-Lemmon: Faculty Spotlight
Maria C. Escobar-Lemmon is a Professor of Political Science and currently serves as the Academic Director at the Bush School DC. Dr. Escobar-Lemmon’s research interests include federalism and decentralization, democratic institutions, and representation in judiciaries
Committed to preparing exceptional public servants for a rapidly changing world, Maria Escobar-Lemmon, Ph.D., is looking forward to expanding and enhancing students’ educational experiences as the new academic director for Texas A&M University’s Bush School of Government and Public Service-Washington DC Teaching Site.
Having moved to the D.C. area during the summer, Escobar-Lemmon is still acclimating to the Bush School DC campus and its community. In her new role, she will be responsible for the academic programs and faculty development. The tenured professor will also teach the foundational research methods course, allowing her to connect academically with students and pursue her own research agenda, which primarily focuses on Latin American politics.
During her 26-year career at Texas A&M, Escobar-Lemmon held varied administrative roles in Texas A&M’s former College of Liberal Arts and the Bush School. Those experiences as well as the connections she made, will inform her work to take the Bush School to the next level academically. “I want to make sure that our students are well-positioned and that we set them up for success,” she said. “Students see the first professional step, but their career often unfolds in ways that they can’t imagine. We need to make sure that our students are broadly trained and also understand the importance of becoming lifelong learners and critical thinkers.”
To that end, Escobar-Lemmon is encouraging students to take full advantage of the campus’s offerings. “You get out of your graduate program what you put in. There’s something valuable in every class. Moreover, the extras, such as the opportunity to routinely interact with our guest speakers, are unparallel.” she said, adding that Bush School students also can learn from their classmates, many of whom bring significant professional experiences to the classroom. “I’d encourage students to have random conversations with people; you may learn something or be a resource for others. Graduate school is hard and challenging, but you get through it together.”
Escobar-Lemmon’s new role also serves as an extension of her own professional dreams, which were fostered as an undergraduate student studying foreign service at nearby Georgetown University. “I went to college with a bunch of people who were deeply interested in political issues and what was happening in the world. They deeply believed they could go out and make a difference in numerous of ways,” she said. “Now I have the opportunity to use my experience in faculty and student development, academic degree and certification development, and research to do some very new and very different things that will help shape the next generation of students who want to change the world. Everybody deserves good public servants, from the national to the local level. We owe it to the future to train those students.”
